Prioritise environment while taking up dev projects

Environmental protection must be prioritised in large-scale development projects, said Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan yesterday.

She was addressing the 4th International Conference on Urban and Regional Planning (ICURP) 2025 at Dhaka University.

Urging policymakers not to view objections from the environment ministry as obstacles, she said, "These are essential safeguards."

She emphasised that every inch of land must be brought under proper planning, adding, "There is no alternative to it."

The two-day conference, organised by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP), focused on "Spatial Planning for Just Transition in Bangladesh".

Rizwana stressed that laws alone are not enough; a shift in mindset is also vital. "Every ministry must act responsibly. Like the agriculture ministry's input in housing approvals, all sectors' environmental impacts must be assessed."

Highlighting Rajuk's limitations, she said development authorities alone can't ensure sustainability. "We must empower institutions and ensure local participation," she added.

She warned that unplanned development threatens biodiversity and stressed that real accountability lies with the true encroachers of natural areas.

Housing Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan said poor planning, not land scarcity, drives chaotic urbanisation. A new law to protect farmland is forthcoming, he added.

Other special guests included Md Nazrul Islam, secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Anacláudia Rossbach, representing UN-Habitat Executive Director; and Prof Md Rezaul Karim, vice-chancellor of Khulna University.  BIP President Dr Adil Muhammad Khan presided over the event, while BIP General Secretary Mehedi Ahsan presented the keynote paper.